Comments on the Election

A number of comments about the coming federal election accumulated in the article about September service changes. I have moved them here.

From: Pete, August 17, 2015

Steve:

In the early Ford/Stintz days, service was hacked away on routes with less ridership, although the actual dollar savings were small. Much of what was cut has now been restored.

Steve:

Off peak crowding standards on routes with frequent service have been restored to Ridership Growth Strategy (a David Miller era initiative) levels triggering service improvements on many routes.

While what you state is true/facts; you fail to mention the so many cuts to many different services imposed by Miller as well as achievements and improvements under the Ford/Stintz administration.

Steve: There are times when I wish I could automate wild, cackling laughter in response to BS statements like that. Ford was a disaster for transit, and all Stintz cared about was what made her look good. We are well rid of both of them.

I live in Spadina-Fort York and so which candidate (Olivia Chow from NDP or Adam Vaughan from Liberals) will be best for transit? I am a Conservative but I won’t vote Conservative this time (even though they have done an excellent job) just because it’s not good for democracy to keep electing the same party endlessly as has become the norm in Ontario to elect the same provincial Liberals (no matter what) which has seriously jeopardised democracy in this province – please note that I would say the same thing if the Progressive Conservatives or NDP were in power for this long no matter how good a job the Progressive Conservatives or the NDP did unlike the provincial Liberals. I am hoping for an NDP or a Liberal minority for 2 years and then back to a federal Conservative majority in 2017 under a new Conservative leader (in the interest of democracy only as Steve Harper has done a good job but I don’t want him to become a dictator).

Steve: The Tories ruled Ontario for decades until they were finally thrown out of office. When they got back, we had Mike Harris about which the best I can say is that he wasn’t as bad as Harper.

I hope that the federal Tories are buried for a very long time, and that the country can finally have a government representing more than the 30% hard core right wing supporters of the Harper regime.

From: Malcolm N. on August 18, 2015

Steve said:

“I hope that the federal Tories are buried for a very long time, and that the country can finally have a government representing more than the 30% hard core right wing supporters of the Harper regime.”

Steve – I really wish you would not refer to this party as Tories. That honorific should be reserved for the likes of Joe Clark, Jean Charest and their ilk. A tory by norm – has charity in their soul, and an understanding of the import of protecting the least well off in society – as that could be you, and the need to help them back to their feet. The current off shoot of the Reform Party has little of that in their soul – and this instinct seems to have been replaced with raw anger. I deeply hope for a return of a true Tory party, as well as a soft left Liberal Party of Canada – for truly contested elections at the centre of the political spectrum – where the sides are arguing about finer details of reasoned policy.

PS I would note – that Clark railed mightily against the idea of the Reform taking over the Tory name. The lack of the soft right option – makes me worry deeply of a rise of US style politics, where electoral success seems to be about getting to the far edges of an issue, and throwing mud.

Steve: When I see a party running on a “red Tory” platform calling itself “Progressive Conservative” and meaning those words, then I might reconsider. Meanwhile, the name has been hi-jacked and is synonymous with the worst of True Blue Conservatism, very much as “Republican” is unrecognizable from its form half a century ago.

I sympathize with the homeless moderate right, wandering through the wilderness in search of a political name they can call their own. But the vilification of the word “liberal” (as a philosophy, not as a party) and the demonization of “the wets” as Maggie Thatcher called them is a phenomenon that spans countries and renders the idea of “moderate Tories” at best an oxymoron, at worst, an historical footnote.

From: Malcolm N. on August 19, 2015

Steve said:

“I sympathize with the homeless moderate right, wandering through the wilderness in search of a political name they can call their own. But the vilification of the word “liberal” (as a philosophy, not as a party) and the demonization of “the wets” as Maggie Thatcher called them is a phenomenon that spans countries and renders the idea of “moderate Tories” at best an oxymoron, at worst, an historical footnote.”

I worry about the Liberal Party of Canada suffering a similar fate. It needs to carve out a strong centrist voice, lest, we as voters (including Red Tories like myself) are left with a gaping chasm in both directions between our views and a place to park our vote.

PS. It is important that there be a middle ground – that appreciates the role of government in supporting the private sector, and where services really are an area that requires senior government leadership.

From: Michael Greason, August 19, 2015

Steve: I live in Spadina Fort York. Adam Vaughan has visited me twice to campaign. He is a really well spoken, likeable man. I voted for him last time. Both times I told Adam that I had a problem with the Liberals support of Bill C51. The first time, he replied with a well reasoned, but to me unconvincing, answer. I think that the “leader” does not always control the party and that the “backroom boys” thought that voting against C51 would open the door to Steve and his attack ads. (Soft on terror etc.). However I am really bothered by the fact that the Liberals voted for this bill.

I like Olivia, but she is often a bit populist for me. Sometimes I think she relies on simplistic homilies rather than well thought out solutions. Simple answers to complicated questions are just as inappropriate when they come from the left as they are when they come from the right. The simplistic solutions are different, but the outcomes can be just as damaging.

I will probably vote for Olivia, but will regret not voting for Adam. This will be similar to my moment in the City Ballot Box when I voted for John Tory and then sat and made a silent apology to Olivia. Doug Ford had to be defeated. Steve must leave. That is the Prime Objective. Steve must leave.

From: Bill, August 20, 2015

Michael Greason:

Steve must leave. That is the Prime Objective. Steve must leave.

I am getting tired of people repeatedly asking Steve to leave or resign from his own blog and suggesting that Bob Wightman should succeed Steve. Why don’t you and Bob Wightman start your own competing blog and then see how many readers you get? Steve, you should never have let Mike’s comment through but unfortunately, trolls do sometimes make it through as no anti-troll software is 100% troll proof.

Steve: In this case, the “Steve” who must leave is Harper, not Munro.

From: Pete, August 19, 2015

Steve:

… we had Mike Harris about which the best I can say is that he wasn’t as bad as Harper.

It’s absolutely true that Harper is not as good as Harris but if I say that you (Steve) is not as smart as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (the inventor of CALCULUS and many other things in mathematics and physics), then that does not mean that you are not smart for one can still be reasonable smart without being a genius like the Great German mathematician and physicist named Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

Steve:

I hope that the federal Tories are buried for a very long time, and that the country can finally have a government representing more than the 30% hard core right wing supporters of the Harper regime.

About 40% of the people voted for the Harper government in the last election which is way more than those who voted for the Wynne Liberals. I hope that the province can finally have a government representing more than the 30% hard core Liberal supporters of the Wynne regime.

Anyway, I am willing to give a chance to the NDP or Liberals at the federal level to avoid eroding Canadian democracy by always electing the same party and to that end, back to my original question which you forgot to answer: I live in Spadina-Fort York and so which candidate (Olivia Chow from NDP or Adam Vaughan from Liberals) will be best for transit? From what I understand, you endorsed Olivia Chow in the mayoral race and you are also a long time NDP supporter (or anyone but the Conservatives / Progressive Conservatives) and so I imagine that you want Adam Vaughan out of office.

Steve: The Tories sit at 30% or so in current polls and that’s where I took my “hard core” number from. For the record, the Alberta NDP government, which Harper detests, was elected with 1% more of the popular vote in Alberta than Harper got nationally. Legitimacy is often a matter of perspective.

I have never claimed that Harper was not “smart”, only that his policies are deeply offensive to my view of what Canada and its federal government should be advocating.

I supported Chow for the Mayoralty as the best among available options, but think Adam Vaughan is the better politician and city builder. From the polls, it looks like Chow will win, and maybe we can get Vaughan back on a future Toronto Council. With the NDP kissing Scarborough’s ass on subway funding (again), they are falling into the trap of picking projects rather than advocating improved funding overall and leaving the choice of how to spend the money to cities. Between picking specific lines for political reasons and forcing agendas on project structure (P3s), a federal presence can badly skew choices of what is built, not to mention funding and operations.

The problem with Vaughan, of course, is that he is running for what is now and will likely remain the third party in the House, and his leader is playing games about support for an NDP government. If the main function of Justin Trudeau were to perpetuate the Harper dynasty, the Liberals would deserve utter contempt.

From: Xiu Fang, August 21, 2015

Steve:

I supported Chow for the Mayoralty as the best among available options, but think Adam Vaughan is the better politician and city builder.

Wow, you can forget about getting any sympathy to your transit ideas should she become mayor in the future. Even John Tory needed two mayoral election runs to finally win and nothing preventing Olivia from running again and if she wins, then you can forget about getting a job as her transit advisor or something.

Steve: Whatever gave you the idea this was a position I wanted? I call things as I see them, not as a politician or his/her political brains trust (I use that term with a strong sense of irony) might prefer.

Steve:

The problem with Vaughan, of course, is that he is running for what is now and will likely remain the third party in the House, and his leader is playing games about support for an NDP government. If the main function of Justin Trudeau were to perpetuate the Harper dynasty, the Liberals would deserve utter contempt.

No, that’s NOT a problem for Adam Vaughan an explanation for which follows. Adam Vaughan has accused Olivia Chow of being a quitter (quit Councillor job to run for MP, quit MP job to run for mayor loosing which she got a Ryerson job which she now quit to run for MP) but Adam Vaughan fails to mention that he himself is a quitter (quit his Councillor job in the middle of his term/tenure to run for MP). It seems like both Adam Vaughan and Olivia Chow will quit whatever position they are elected to even in the middle of a term/tenure if they can get a higher position. And so, it is NOT a problem that Adam Vaughan is running as a third party candidate because should he win as a Liberal and should the NDP win the overall election, Adam Vaughan will quit the Liberal party, cross the party lines and become an NDP Minister and the only thing that is uncertain is what his portfolio will be. That said, I hope that Adam Vaughan does not get elected as an MP which will also ensure that he does not become a Minister in the NDP government that is likely to be elected. As a resident of Spadina-Fort York, my vote of course goes to Olivia Chow.

Steve: You asked me who I support and I told you and why. If you don’t like my rationale, that’s too bad. I’m actually looking forward to what appears to be Adam’s likely defeat and, maybe, return to municipal politics where he would be a lot more useful than in Ottawa.

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6 thoughts on “Comments on the Election”

I am not sure that it is a bad thing for a politician to resign (a much more dignified word than quit) from one level of government to seek office in another. In fact, I sometimes think that it shows backbone to do so rather than clinging to the old position as a “just in case I lose” security blanket.

It is also a fact that all of us resign from one job to take another – except for those who are unfortunate enough to be laid off or otherwise terminated. I think the whole discussion is a red herring and not all germane to the important decision of picking our next member of parliament.

Having said that, when I spoke with Adam Vaughan he did not mention Olivia Chow. He was very classy and his strongest theme was about how impressed he is with Mr. Trudeau. Adam described him as the “real thing” and urged me to listen to the leaders’ debates so I can see how well spoken and logical Mr. Trudeau can be.

This is an important election and is our chance to decide the future direction of our country. Do we want to the kind of Canada we were or the Canada we have become under Harper. I preferred the old one.

I preferred the Canada was that was admired the world over as a fair and balanced voice in international affairs. This Canada was a shoe-in to get on the Security Council – rather than the winner of a solitary vote besides that of our own ambassador.

I preferred a Canada where scientists were free to present their findings without being bullied and vetted by the PMO. I preferred a Canada that acted on the scientific evidence rather than deciding the conclusion based on ideology and then twisting the evidence to support it or alternatively suppressing evidence in opposition.

I preferred a Canada with a Criminal Justice system that was not tied in knots by vindictive laws that are passed for purposes of vengeance and revenge rather than to protect society to the best of our ability. Even the Americans – including Republicans – are coming to realise that over incarceration is not only counterproductive – but ridiculously expensive.

I preferred a Canada where, to quote Rumpole (a fictional character, but when Rumpole spoke it was really Sir John Mortimer speaking) “the golden thread of British Justice” was respected and citizens had rights. Canada already has laws against conspiracy and mayhem. Taking away our rights and granting arbitrary powers to the police does not make us safer. It satisfies a certain ideology.

I preferred a Canada where we were all free to vote and elections were impartially administered by an arms length body – Elections Canada. The “Fair Elections Act” – an Orwellian name if there ever was one – is nothing less than voter suppression and the voters that are being suppressed are those that might not vote for the current government.

I preferred a Canada where StatsCan was world renowned for the quality of its information rather than one where for no discernible reason the Census was rendered useless.

I would also like to point out that I am not remembering a Canada that was without fault. There was still a long way to go before we had a perfect society and there was much work left to do. Just to give one example – our record at providing the opportunity for a decent life for our aboriginal population was shameful – and no one really has or had a workable solution to end the unacceptable poverty cycle that continues.

However, the Canada that existed before Harper was kinder, more respected, more egalitarian and a better place to live than it has become under Harper. I miss it and want it back.

While I usually favour the New Democrats, I felt let down that Tom Mulcair said he would support the Danforth subway extension to the Scarborough Town Centre.

I have always seen the potential for the LRT option as a way to create a web network of light rail for the whole city, especially for our priority neighbourhoods like Malvern.

This city can be hijacked by mean hearted people who wish to spread their negative energy, but that does not mean that I have to listen to them.

I will always be a supporter of the vision for a whole light rail network what with it’s affordability and urban environment effect of creating vibrant, friendlier neighbourhoods.

The mean people that make noise about space supposedly being taken away for their cars would be more than superseded by the many many others who cannot afford a car or for all honesty don’t really need one.

Any of these suburban light rail vehicles can easily be coupled into tram trains carrying hundreds of passengers if need be.

Meanwhile you will have those in the largest smog belching sport utility vehicle money can buy with just one person inside, what a waste something like that really is.

“it’s not good for democracy to keep electing the same party endlessly”

Reelected politicians are not the problem. The problem is in how politics and especially elections in this country promote bad governance, and Harper is a master at playing political games. He divides us and wins the 35% of votes he needs partly through fear and ignorance.

We can avoid much of this by getting rid of First Past the Post voting. In BC, we randomly selected 151 citizens to determine whether FPTP voting should be pursued, and if not what should replace it. 142 to 11 preferred ditching FPTP because of how poorly it selects governments that represent the people. Any one random voter who studies the issue as the Citizens Assembly in BC did would come to the same conclusion.

CGP Grey has a wonderful and short series of YouTube videos that I feel explains the situation as best as can be done.

Electoral reform in BC was rejected after gaining a slim majority of votes in a first referendum and failing badly in the second. I’m quite forcefully asking anyone who’s concerned about the state of our democracy to watch the CGP Grey videos and insist on electoral reform, because it won’t happen if we’re not all informed.

If the rules of the game were different, Harper could be a good Prime Minister. With the rules as they are, he is dividing us and future politicians will continue to do so.

It is time to get rid of Harper and elect a Liberal government which actually funds transit properly. We need to have an economic stimulus program that spends tens of billions on transit and rail expansion in Canada (with ultra low interest rates there is no reason not to do this) to end the 2015 recession and reduce traffic congestion problems. Harper has provided practically no funding for transit and this needs to change. We have underfunded transit for years and have made far too many bad decisions because of politics or because we are trying to build transit on the cheap. We should have done GO electrification 10 or 20 years ago. The UP Express has been a complete failure, and Miller’s LRT plan made no sense and we should be building more subway lines even if they are very expensive. Building the most expensive LRT line in the world on Eglinton was a terrible decision and it likely will be overcrowded and will become a case study of how not to build transit. If China, Spain, etc. can build large numbers of subway lines, why can’t Toronto?

Just would like to echo the concern about the Mulcair support for the stupid Scarborough Subway extension, though yes, we need more transit, and I’ve been offering the idea of using the Gatineau Hydro corridor as a busway as an additional inducement to reverse back to sense. But while there’s a hint of some worthwhile modus operandi in not interfering with some decisions of the lower levels of government, the decision on this one was soo low-down in the muck of politics and scheming, not planning, that it’d be helpful to have some outrage and principle ie. standing up for planning. Aaah, but what’s $660,000,000?….

By all means keep the federal level supportive, but have it for sensible things, like even doing a bit of work with the rail companies to help bypass Toronto with long oil trains.

I was back to research mode today, ref lib at Bloor and online and found TorontoStar front page from Spadina sub opening day, Sat Jan 28/78. All the mayors chimed in with their little blurbs of course except Mayor Crombie who had the flu. Anyway, NY Mayor Lastman got up and praised the extension and said he would really like to see a “surface-rail extension” built up to Finch. to make the entire line more viable. Obviously nothing came of this but did the idea have any traction back then? I was too young, stupid and into cars & girls so I have no recollection. thx wp

Steve: I don’t remember anything like this. The goal was always to push the subway as far north as possible. For a time there was a scheme to loop the two branches, but this wasn’t considered seriously once the Yonge line went past Sheppard.